Creeper.



N. TRIANTAPILU.

OREEPEB. APPLICATION TILED 1mm, 1910.

Patented Mar. 7, 191 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS TRIANTAFILU, OF NE\V BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

CREEPER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Xlcnon-is Tnmx'rarum, a citizen of Greece, residing in New llritaimin the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Creepers, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in i creepers, and the objects of -my improve ments are simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and efficiency ill use. r

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is aside elevation of a shoe with one of my creepers. 'Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 1s a longitudinal. section on the line a: a of Fig. 4-, of the same on an enlarged scale 'Fig. t is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, with a modification of the body. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same, showing a modified form of the friction member. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the friction member on an enlarged scale. Sis a side elevation of the shaft for the friction member.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of part of a shoe and a modification of the means for holding my creeper in place, and is on the same otally mounted on a transverse shaft D.

The said friction member G consists of a multiple of flat wheels 26 preferably of sheet material, and provided w'th teeth :21 on their outer edges. The said body A is made preferably of metal and has a generally flat top surface adapted to fit and bear against the instep 11 of a shoe B and a vertical back surface 13 adapted to fit against the front wall let of the heel 15 and is provided with rearwardly projecting prongs 16 adapted to penetrate the said heel 15. The lower side may extend forward and generally horizontal from the lower edge of the said back surface 13 or the lower rear corner 18 may be cut away as shown in Fi 3, and the forward end of said lower sunace 17 in front of the said shaft D may incline upward to meet the said top surface 10. The interior of the said body A is cut away for housing generally the said friction wheels C when Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed A ril 9.

Patented \Iar. '7, 1911. 1910. Serial No. 554,358.

I mounted on the said shaft D, and the location of the said shaft D is such as to permit 5 the free rotation of the said friction wheels C and to expose the bottom teeth 21 below 1 the said lower surface 17 and the said teeth may project below the general level of the i lower surface 25 of the heel 15. The said friction member C may be removably mounted as shown, the shaft 1) comprising a headed screw, the body 27 being a fit for the holes 28 in the wheels 26, the head 29 fitting the countersunk hole in one side wall .3? and the threadcdend 31 screwing into a threaded hole 32 in the opposite side wall 23. The said friction member C may be composed of a relatively large number of wheels 26 of thin material or a lesser number of wheels 26 of thicker material, as shown in Fig. 6, or a mixture of both and the said wheels may be hardened if desired. Each wheel 26 or 26 is free and independent and as described they are renlovably. mounted so that they may be removed for sharpening or replacing. The said straps E comprise a forwardly extending instep strap 33 and a rearwardly extending heel strap 34, or any other convenient arrangement of straps may be used. Likewise, any ordinary form of clamp F may be employed. The clamp F shown comprises jaws 35, adapted to engage with the sole 36 of the shoe B, an adjusting screw 37 and an operclamp in common use on skates.

In use, the teeth on the lower side of the friction member engage with the ice, snow, or other slippery surface and thereby tend to hold the foot against slipping out or to one side. By having the teeth rotatively mounted the holding action is more positive than with stationary teeth, and there is a constant change in the engaging teeth tending to long life of the individual disk members.

I claim as my invention 1. A creeper comprising a body fitting underneath a shoe and a friction member, the said friction member comprising a barrel like structure of cylindrical formation and composed of a multiple of disk like members of sheet metal having radial teeth and the said disk-like members rotatively mounted on a common axis and each free to turn on the said axis under normal conditions of use.

2. In a creeper comprising a body and a i'rietiuu member eoluposed of a multiple of disk-like members the said members mounted rolativelv on a common shaftand free to rotate thereon. the said shaft being reand holding said prongs in such engage- Vment with the heel.

4. In combination in a creeper, a body having means to hold it in position under the instep of a shoe adjacent the heel and provided with prongs penetrating the heel and a frietion member comprising a multiple of thin dialelilce members having radial teeth and mounted on a common axis so as to be individually free to rotate.

NICHOLAS TRIAXTAFILU.

\l' i t nesses:

Lnms JAMES, linen-11am H. CLARKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

